Broaching

[John MacArthur]

Hy Randy,
2 weeks ago my sails was set like you said "on the same side" and the wind was coming by back. I near lose control of my boat because i was going too fast. When the wind is on my back i really not sure about the best way to slow down without changing my course. Could you help me with this?

Marc
A22 #275

Marc -- When you're sailing downwind, and the wind becomes too strong to control the boat, as you say, you *must* reduce power. The easiest way to do this is to reef, and then, if necessary, completely drop the mainsail. It is a big part of what is making the boat try to "round up" and broach. I find myself many times sailing downwind under jib alone, and it is much more comfortable. This, however, makes it necessary to sail slightly away from dead downwind, because the the jib requires a little side wind to keep itself filled, unless you use a whisker pole. Dead downwind is very uncomfortable, anyway. Good luck with this.

Johnny MacArthur
CD-30C "Stork"
Taos, NM; San Carlos, Mex.



jmacNOSPAM@laplaza.org

[Marc]

Johnny, Thank's for the advise. I just came back from a little ride on the lake. Today the winds was 5 to 10 knots and i try a new jib (my A22 came with 3 jibs)it's the first time that i saw one like this, i can reef it. Like most of the time i got the downwind to came back. Like you said it's not a joy to sail with the wind in your back. I will sure use your way the next time.


Thank's again


Marc

Hy Randy,
2 weeks ago my sails was set like you said "on the same side" and the wind was coming by back. I near lose control of my boat because i was going too fast. When the wind is on my back i really not sure about the best way to slow down without changing my course. Could you help me with this?

Marc
A22 #275

Marc -- When you're sailing downwind, and the wind becomes too strong to control the boat, as you say, you *must* reduce power. The easiest way to do this is to reef, and then, if necessary, completely drop the mainsail. It is a big part of what is making the boat try to "round up" and broach. I find myself many times sailing downwind under jib alone, and it is much more comfortable. This, however, makes it necessary to sail slightly away from dead downwind, because the the jib requires a little side wind to keep itself filled, unless you use a whisker pole. Dead downwind is very uncomfortable, anyway. Good luck with this.

Johnny MacArthur
CD-30C "Stork"
Taos, NM; San Carlos, Mex.

adrenaline@vif.com

[Larry DeMers]

Personally now, I do not like to use a preventer on the boom. In my opinion, they are much more useful when you have a lot of sea room, and have settled down on your course for a day or more, set the autopilot or windvane and then you prevent the boom from jibing.
Most times, the time that we are actually running with the boom out like that can be measured in hours or fractions thereof. It is silly to prevent a boom then under those circumstances. One should be easily capable of sailing with the wind without jibing, or if it does happen, to mitigate the potential effects of the jibe thru steering the boat back square to the wind, lessening the force on the sail/boom as it comes across..and at the same time using the sheet as a shock absorber.ie; leaving it wrapped once around the winch, but uncleated and in hand. Allow the shock of the newly loaded up main to be absorbed by the sheet as it is pulled thru your hand and around the winch. I do this all the time in all but extreme situations, when jibing is not a good idea...but a 360 is. (for some reason we call these "Chinese Jibes").

Poling out the genoa is a good idea, but there are things to watch for there too. So far, I have not put a reaching pole on our boat, but have looked into it as far as price to do so is concerned. I seem to have always found a better place for that money though, than in a reaching pole.

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 Lake Superior

Thank you for all the advise, one more question. Setting the boom vang to prevent the boom from swinging across was a sequential step to prepare to sail wing on wing on a run or broad reach. The next step would be to open up the jib with a whisker pole. Given all the comments and my own experience, an uncontrolled jibe with the whisker pole raised would seem pretty scary. Any comments? (Beyond make sure you don't jibe.)

Chris

demers@sgi.com

[Randy Bates]

Marc:
If you have a roller headsail, roll some in. If not turn up into the wind until you can reef the main. Because wind increases while running are hard to detect until it's past time to reef, be very cautious when running. If you have any doubts as to whether the wind will increase too a level requiring a reef, do the reef FIRST. You can always shake it out.

Hy Randy,
2 weeks ago my sails was set like you said "on the same side" and the wind was coming by back. I near lose control of my boat because i was going too fast. When the wind is on my back i really not sure about the best way to slow down without changing my course. Could you help me with this?

Marc
A22 #275

Watch your jib & when it starts to jibe, the main will be next. The vang you are setting on the stancion base is now called a preventer & is used to keep the main from accidently jibing. A broach is when the boat usually runs down a wave and goes over to leeward putting the rig in the water. This usually happens when the boat exceeds hull speed and trips in the trough. You are using your preventer correctly & with practice will know when the wind is getting behind the sail.
John CD31 #18 Bonnie Blue

Chris:
What you describe is exactly why running DEAD downwind in big air can get nasty fast. The easiest cure is to headup slightly so that both sails are on the same side. It also dampens/prevents the dreaded death rolls.

Randy Bates CD25D "Seraph"

randy.bates@baesystems.com